Machine for the manufacture of envelopes



July 29. 1924; 1,503.155

HAAS MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES Filed May 9, 1921 6Sheets-Sheet 1 July 29 1924. 1,503,155

A. HAAS MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OE ENVELOPES Filed May 9, 192]} 6Sheets-Sheet 2 A. HAAS MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES FiledMay 9, .192] 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 A. HAAS MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OFENVELOPES 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 9, 1921 July 29, 1924.

. A. HAAS MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES Filed May 9, 192] 6Sheets-Sheet 5 9 GE N5 July-29, 1924.

A. HAAS MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES Filed May 9, 1921 6Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented July 29,- 19.2 1:e

: nnirso stars-s ADRIAN HAAS, or nounsmwENGr-Attn.

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES,

Application filed May 9, 1921. Serial No. 467,882.

' To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADRIAN HAAs, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, of No. 191 Cromwell Road, Hounslow, in the county of MiddlesemEngland, have invented certain, new and useful Improvements inandRelating'to Machines for the- Manufacture of Envelopes, of; which thefollowing is'a specification. V r

This invention refers to improvements in and relating to machines forthe manufacture of envelopes.

According to this invention, two'or multlples of two or more envelopesare produced side by side from a single web of 'or at a suitable ,placeor places between the edges of the paper. The paper while moving at auniform speed passes over a series of rollers to allow the gum to drynaturally in the air, or it may be assisted by heat,-if

desired. Preferably the rollers are in two superposed series to ensuresuflicient length of travel and time for the gum to dry before" the nextoperation; By this means the webs hang down in straight parallel loopsand only require to be supported by a relatively small number ofrollers, having regard to the length of web being dried. The paper isthen cut longitudinallyby slitting knives or otherwise and creased forthe folds of the closing and bottom flaps after which it is allowed toforma loop or to sag and is then caused to be fed forward, at intervalsto enable it to be submitted, successively, to punching operations toform the commencement of theproduction of the sides of the bottom andclosing flaps, to cutting operations at the places punched to completethe formation of the back or bottom flap and gummed closing flap or to asingle cutting operation, producing the same result as the successivepunching and cutting operations.

If desired, other knives may be provided for trimmingv or ,finallyshaping the closing flaps. Or, on theother hand, the cutting or slottingof the web to form as well as trim the closing flaps may be effected atthe same operation as that at which the sides of the bottom andsideflaps are formed. -The paper is then subjected to'an operation for,successively foldingv the bottom fl ap,;creasing the side flaps wherethey join the. body or part forming the face of the envelope,

cuttingto divide theside flaps of one en- Q velope blank from anotherand in known mannerto a feeding operation at right: angles to thedirection originally taken, one

half of the envelope blanks passing off'to one side and the other halfto the other side, where the side flaps are ineach case gummed andfolded over on to the back after which the gummed closing flap is foldeddown on to the bottom and the-finished envelopes are delivered.

Figure 1,0f the accompanying drawings 7 i is aside elevation'of thegreater part of a machine constructed accordingto this in vention, I V,Figure 2 1s a plan thereof. v

Figure 3 is'a detail partly in end eleva- H tion; and partly intransverse section on the line 'IIL-III Figure 2, showing a pair ofpunching devices for commencing, the formation of a slot Figure 4 is adetail inilongitudinal sec 1 tion on the line IV-IV Figure 2, showing 2two knives for successively operating to complete the formation ofiaslotFigure 5 is a detail in longitudinal section on the line V V Figure 2,for forming two creases prior to the folding of the bottom flap,

Figure 6 is a detail partly in, end elevation and partly in transversesection on the line VI-VI Figure 2, for illustrating the folding of thebottom flap. V

Figure 7 is a similar detail view on the line VIIVII Figure 2 andshowing how the side fiaps of adjacent blanks are severed.

' Figure 8 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the web cut,creased longitudinally, punched, out twice, creased transversely, thefolding over of the bottom and the cut severing the side flapsofadjacent blanks and i Z Figure'9 shows the envelope in the condi tionproduced according to this invention.

Figure 10 is aview in plan of part ofte apparatuswhen constructedaccording to a modification for forming the slots at one operation and Y1 Figure 11 are details in perspective of the cutting devices orknivesemployed in Figure 10. i

Figure 12 is a view in plan of part of the apparatus when constructed totrim the closing flap and Figure 13 are details in perspective of thecutting devices or knives employed in Figure 1 Figure 1 is a Figure 10.

Figure 15 is a sectional end elevation of Figure 12. i V

Figure 16 is a side elevation of the details shown in Figures 10./and12.

sectional end elevation of I 1s a view of part'of the web showing thewhole'of one envelope blank and parts of two adjoining blanks and Figure18 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the web gummed, cut toform two double series of blanks, creased longitudinally'and readyforthe series of operations illustrated by Figures 1 to 8 but modifledby the slotting arrangement as in Figures 10, 11, 14 and 16 and thetrimming as shown in Figures 12,13, 15 and 16.

In carrying the invention into effect and according to theconstructionshown in'Figures 1 to Sthe apparatus is mounted on a bed,suitably comprising standards or fram ing aand a table or series oftable parts or supports marked 6 a driving shaft orevoluble in bearingson one side of the bed. The bed or table 6 is conveniently made insections so as to be slid along and racks and pinions may be provided tofacilitate the movement and adjustment. The parts '5 are then fixed atsuitable places on the framing according to the positions required forperforming the various operations. The driving shaft 0 is furnished nearone end with means, such as a flywheel d and fast and loose pulleys c.This shaft by a belt f and pulleys g and h communicates motion to acountershaft ihaving mounted thereon a friction wheel is adapted to beshifted in the axial direction, to revolve with the countershaft and tobe retained in position in any desired place along the said shaft forpermitting of varying the speed of the web of paper Z. This isconveniently effected by providing a double armed forked lever m and aslotted quadrant a on which the lever can be clamped by means of a screwthreaded stud 0 and nut (not shown) or by a detent adapted to engage inany one of a series of teeth on the quadrant or otherwise in anyconvenient manner. This friction wheel is adapted to engage withthefiatface of a larger friction wheel 79 p mountedbn a secondcountershaft I which is conveniently, made integral with a roller overwhich the paper web passes as it is unrolled from the reel or drum 1" ofpaper and a suitable guide roll or rolls, such as s is or are providedfor conducting the paper in the proper direction where required. Thecountershaft or roller 9 is, conveniently, provided with a sprocketwheel 25 which by a chain a communicates motion to a shaft o and this inturn communicates mot-ion by a roller thereon to roller 10 pressedtowards it by a spring, not shown. After being unrolled from the drum 7or as shown while the unrolling is taking place the paper Z has appliedthereto astrip of gum or other adhesivebymeans of an appropriate rolleror system of rollers or revolving brushes partially immersed in a troughor by means of a fountain gummer or the like diagram matically indicatedat :0. Wherever necessary, the guide or other rollers may be flanged orthe rollers may have adjustable flanges mounted thereon to suit paper ofdifferent widths. The rollers, under which the paper passes after thegumming operation, are provided with an annular groove or grooves suchas 9 (Figure 2), to register with the strip of wet gum to prevent thelatter from coming into contact with the surface of such rollers. Afterthe gumming operation the paper passes over aseries of rollers and mayhave a slight tension imparted thereto to prevent it from becomingdistorted as the gum dries. The rollers are conveniently mounted in twosuperposed series y and z and of the desired number to ensure sufficientlength of travel and time for the gum to dry before the next operationstake place The rollers e, if not those marked y are suitably providedwith annular grooves, such as (1 The drying rollers y are convenientlyfitted at one end with sprocket wheels with which engage the chain ainorder to positively drive the rollers y. After passing over the dryingrollers g and c the paper Z is conveniently passed between a pair ofrollers, shafts or spindles 1 andEZ of which that marked 1 is furnishedwith a sprocket wheel and driven by the chain a. The shaft or roller 2is pressed towards the shaft or roller 1 by screw 8 in the well knownmanner to provide the necessary frictional contact. The paper web isthen allowed to hang in a loop Z to avoid tear ing it during thesubsequent operations which are adapted to take place at intervals, thefeed being consequently intermittent. According to the number ofenvelopes to be obtained from the width of the paper the latter isdivided by a slitting knife or knives. Assuming the web be too wide aportion may be out off by a pair of rotary slitting knives 3 and 4mounted on the shafts w and i) respectively. These shafts o and w areconveniently geared together at their other ends by spur wheels o and 10(Figure 2) and the shaft o also carries a pulley o (Figures 1 and 2)which by belt 6 communicates niotion to a pulley 7 engaging, by afriction clutch 8, a shaft 9 adapted to carry a reel 10 on which thesurplus paper Z? is adapted to be wound. The rest of the web of paper,after passing over the drying rollers y and under the drying rollers ais then cut into two webs, for instance by rotary slitting knives 11 and12 which are conveniently mounted on the shafts 1 and 2 respectively andafter hanging in loops Z pass over a guide roller 11 and down toa guideor guides 13 for causing the webs to continue their travel along thetable at some little distance from each other, as shown, for exampla nthe diagram Flgure 8. Mounted on the spindles 1 and 2 are two sets ofcreasing rollers 1s, 15 and 16, 17 (Figure 2) each set orseries beingadapted to feed the paper web andto produce two sets of creases 0 05(see also Figure 8') for the closing and bottom flaps of one of the twoseries of envelopes to be produced on the table I). The rollers 15 and'17 are mounted on the shaft 2 and this shaft is not only driven by spurgearing 111and 112 from the shaft 1 see Figures 1, 2 and 8, but is alsopressed towards it by set-screws, such as (Figure 1) as aforesaid. r s

' A shaft has conveniently mounted thereon a series of cams, each ofwhich is adapted by lever mechanism, to operate various de 3 a, and nearthe right or; delivery end of" the table is monnted apair of feedrollers 18 and 19.1 One or both of the feed "rollers isor areintermittently rotated by means of an eccentric 20. As shown,theeccentric 20' (Figures 1 and 2) mounted on a shaft 21at the back ofthe machine is driven by mitre wheels '22 and 23 from the shaft 0 orelsewhere. The eccentric 20 is furnished with a strap and rod 24connected to aratchet lever 25. The pawl 26 of the ratchet lever engagesin a ratchet wheel 27 mounted on or integral with the journal of theroller 19". If desired, the ratchet wheel maybe posi-' tive'ly engagedby a stop or the like at the .end of its partial rotation but this isnot essential. On the table is also mounted, desired, a presser foot tohold the paper while being operatedon and the sides of the closing flapmay also be trimmed or shaped by means of knives operating inthevicinity both of which features will be referred to later on. Fourvertically acting punches 28 Figures 1', 2 and 3 (of whi'c'h two onlyare shownin Figure are mounted in guides 29 fixed to the table I; andare operated by a cam lever 30 keyed to a cross shaft or rocking shaft31 having also atone end lever 32 which by a rod-33 andcarn roller orbowl 34 is adapted to be operated by the cam 0 on the driving shafts.The four punches 28 are adapted to produce four round holes in the widthof the aper, mounted on the table and two of these punches operate onthe web in the formation of'e'ach envelope blank, In each-case oneoftheseholes is nearer the inner edge of the web than is the other holefrom the outer edge. The innermost hole 35- (Figure8) is adapted toproduce a p'ortionof the gulnnied flap and a side flap and the outerhole 36 7 produces thecorresponding portion of the side flap the backflap or bottom of the envelope as willgbe hereinafter more, clearly setforth; The web then passes to a cutting device havingtwo pivoted orreciprocating knives 37 and 38 (Figure 2) for each envelope blank, suchknives being operated a lever lO on the cross shaft 41 which alsocarries the knives and a rod s2 carrying a cam bowl 13 which latter themotion of the cam 0 is transmitted from the cam shaft 0. The,cuttingedge of the knife 38 extends from the peripheryof one hole 36tothe outer edge of the paper to produce a cut a l (Figure 8) which formsone edge or side of the back flap 46', while the'other knife37 Fig. 2similarly extends froin the other hole 35 te the inner edge of thepaperto produce a cut 4 5 for forming the edge or side of the closing orgummed flap 4?. The neXt mo the otherside or edge of the back flap 46and a out 5 1 to produce the other side or edge of the closing flaptl','the oblong pieces of paper separated between'the two envelopeblanks in line and adjacentto each other tliei'rfa'll or go to waste-The operation taking place at he; end of the next movement of the paperconsists in imparting two parallel creases 52 (Figure 8)' at thejunction of the side flaps 53.with the body portion 5 1. of the envelopeblank, one crease for each side flap. Thecreasing devices suitablyconsist of twosteel plates 55, 56 (Figures 1,2 and 5) mounted on a bar57 having a strap or sleeve 58 at each end mounted on an eccentric crossshaft 59 operated as before from the cam its the back flap 46, and whilethe folding is taking place a presser foot prevents the web from moving.As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 6 twopresser feet 61, 61 pivoted to thetable 7) at 62, 62 are elastically operated by a rod 63 actuated by aspring 6 1 between a collar on the rod and its guide 65, the lever 66 onthe cross shaft 67 (actuated from the cam 0 by means of a cam bowl 68rod 69 and lever 70) being adapted to depress the rod 63 when the web isto be fed forward and so release the latter, but at other times the Ipresser feet 61 hold the paper webs securely.

When this occurs the movement of the cross shaft 67 is communicated by alever 71 and link 72 to a vertically guided rack 73 en gaging with aquadrant or pinion 7 4: provided with a metal plate 75 serving as afolding device. -The position of parts shown in Figure 6 indicates'thatthe folder 75 has caused the back flap 16 to be folded down at thecrease 0 on to the body portion 54 of the envelope as shown in thediagram Figure 8.

The paper is again moved along, passing betweengthe feed rollers 18 and19 and then the side flap portions 53 (Figure 8) connecting twoadjoining body or front portions 54 of the envelopes, are out through bya knife 76 (Figures 1, 2 and 7) at 77 (Figure 8) so that theindividualenvelope blanks are entirely separated from each other. The knife 76 ispivoted at 78 and is operated by a rod 79 carrying acam bowl 80 which isengaged by the cam 0 Each envelope blank then appears as in full linesin Figure 9. The blanks from one strip of the divided web are receivedby an endless belt and caused to travel to the right, while the blanksfrom the other strip are received by a second belt and are caused totravel to the left in a known manner, where the side flaps 53 are, bysuitable'or known means, gummed and folded down on to the back of theenvelope as shown in dotted lines in Figure 9. The closing flap 47 isthen foldeddown on .to the back and the finished envelopes are countedand finally dropped on each side of the complete machine into trays orelse where in any well known manner- It should be noted that as shown inFigure 1 there may be two superposed tablesfor the purpose of producingseparate series of en,- velopes or there may be more than two tables andthe consequent number of paper webs. Moreover, by duplicating or.corresponding- 1y increasing the number of devices for gumming,slitting, creasing, punching and/ or cutting, folding and so on, theoutput of the machine be materially increased while still producing themovement of these devices by means of one cam shaft.

Referring to the modification described with reference to Figures 10,11, 14:.and 16, namely the means for cutting out the slots 81 and 82(Figure 18) for forming the sides of the bottom flaps and closing flapsand for forming the side flaps at one operation instead of threeoperations, the slots 81 are formed by knives 83 (Figure 11) and theslots 82 are formed by knives 84;.

As in the previous instance, the driving and cam shaft 0 is furnishedwith a cam, such as 0 (Figure which engages a roller 85 mount ed on arod 86, suitably guided at one end by being connected to a lever orotherwise and connected at its other end to a similar lever below (asmarked) 88 (Figure 1) keyed to a transverse shaft mounted in bearings onthe table or bed of the machine for cutting slots such as 81 and 82 inthe upper webs, out of lower webs such as 89 and 90 (Figure 18). Itshould here bestated that the four webs may all hang down and be fed tothe table without any of them crossing or if two do cross their place ofcrossing would be lower down than is shown in the diagram 'Figu re18rThistransverse shaft 190 (Figures 10, 1' 1 and 16) is, in turn furnishedwith armed levers 91 and .92 which, by double links 93," communicatesmotion to the free ends of the knives 83 and 84: mounted on the levers94: and 95 pivoted at 96 and 97, respectively, and each knife is adaptedto cut out a piece of paper from the web between two blanks to form thesides of the bottom flap 46, closing flap 4'? and side flaps 53 (Figure18) The pivots 96, 97, of the knives are mounted in bearings or brackets98, 99 fixed to the table or bed I) the cutting edges of the knives 88,84: are conveniently rectangular and the lmives or cutters may merelyconsist of flat steel plates screwed to cast iron or cast steel levers94, 95. The knives 88, 8 1 are conveniently made in the form of fingerswith parallel sides and rounded at the end. The knives are also adaptedto register with and descend into correspondingly formed slots in thebed and these slots may be faced with plates 100 and 101 and 102 and 103(Figures 11 and 10) of phosphor bronze or other suitable metal, screwedto the bed I). It is however, obvious that the shape and length of theknives may be modified to conform to the particular shape of flaps to bemade. Preferably each of the plates surrounding the slot is divided intotwo parts as shown so that the parts are capable of being separated orbrought closer together for adjustment.

For trimming the closing flap to the angular shape 47, as shown inFigures 17 and 18, the machine may be provided with a knife such asmarked 104 in Figures 12, 13 and 17 and the correspondingly formed fixedparts 105 and 106 (Figures 12 and 13) adapted to be screwed to the bedsection I; mounted on the framing a. As shown in Figures 12, 15 and 16,the cam shaft 0, in

contact with the roller 107 mounted on the rod 108, actuates the lever109 keyed to the shaft 110 mounted in bearings 121 in adjustablebrackets screwed, or bolted to the bed section b which may also be madeof separate parts (three in this case adapted to be assembled together).011 the cross shaft 110 is keyed a pair of levers 122, 122 each of whichby a series of links 123 is adapted to actuate a lever 114 to which isscrewed the knife 104. The fixed knife parts 105 and 106, are as shownin Figures 12 and 15, screwed to a bracket 115 adjustable on the bed andthe fulcrum pin 116 of each lever is mounted in a bracket 115. The knife104i cuts off a portion of .the gummed flap of each two adjoiningenvelope flaps at each operation. r

The operations for creasing the part 52 at 53, folding the back flap 46and separating each blank from the Web is then carried out as describedwith reference to Figuresl to 9.

I claim 1. In a machine of the character described, means forcontinuously feeding a web of paper during certain operations in thecourse of making envelopes, means for intermittently feeding the paperduring subsequent operations, and severing devices for dividing the webinto strips between the two sets of intermittent movement, substantiallyfor the purpose set forth.

operations and during continuous movement of the web, substantially asset forth.

2. In a machine of the character described,

means for continuously feeding a web of paper during pasting andpaste-drying operations, means for intermittently feeding the paperduring blank-forming operations, and severing devices for dividing theweb into strips between the two sets of operations and during thecontinuous movement of the web substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine of the character described, mechanism for subjecting aWeb of paper first to. continuous and then to intermittent motion duringtwo respective sets of operations, severing means for dividing the weblongitudinally during the continuous movement thereof, and means forcausing the divided web to hang in loops after it has been so dividedand before the web is subjected to as and 4. In a machine of thecharacter described, means for continuously feeding a web of paperduring pasting and paste-drying operations, means for intermittentlyfeeding the paper during blank-forming operations severing devices andcreasing devices for simultaneously severing the web into longi tudinalstrips and longitudinally creasing the same, substantially as set forth.

5. In a machine of the character described, a paper carrying rollmounted on the machine framing, a pair of feed rollers on the framing,means for contlnuously rotatlng the feed rollers to feed a web of paperfrom" said roll, means to apply adhesive to selected portions of thewebduring the continuous feeding thereof, two superposed series ofparallel rollers mounted on said framing over and under which the webwith the adhesive applied is caused to travel, means operative on saidweb to divide the same into longitudinal strips during its continuoustravel, means for forming longitudinal creases in the web to constitutethe folding lines of the closing and back flaps of the en- 7 velopes, abed fixed to the machine frame, means to cause the strips to form loopsafter passing the continuously rotating feed rollers, feed mechanismintermittently operated to feed the strips from said loops and over saidbed, cutting mecahnism operative on the 7 strips to form transverseslots for the formation of the back flaps the closing flaps and partlythe side flaps, creasing mechanism for forming transverse creases on thestrips to constitute the folding lines for the side flaps,

' mechanism for folding the back and closing 'mounted in bearings onsaid bed, means for communicating motion from the cam shaft to the crossshaft, a bar connected to said cross shaft and adapted to bereciprocated thereby, a series of creasing blades fixed to the bar, anda series of yielding creasing blades connected to said bar, the fixedand yielding creasing blades being adapted to coact with'recesses formedin the said bed to effect the creasing of the blanks, substantially asset forth. 7 I

7. In a machine of the character described,

driving at various speeds one of the series of drying rollers and thefeed rollers fromthe main driving shaft, substantially as set forth. 7

8. In a machine of the character described, a driving shaft, two seriesof drying rollers over and under which a paper web is passed afterapplication thereto of adhesive material, a pair of combined feed andcreasing rollers between which the dried paper web passes, spindlesjournaled in the machine frame for supporting the combined feed andcreasing rollers, and variable speed gear 0perated by the main drivingshaft and adapted to positively drive one of the series of dry ingrollers and the combined feed and creasing rollers, substantially as setforth.

9. In a machine of the character described, a pair of combined feed andcreasing rollers between which a web of paper passes, and intergearedspindles supporting said rollers in hearings on the machine frame, aslitting knife member mounted on one of the spindles, a co-acting knifemember mounted on the other of said spindles, and means to positive- 1ydrive said spindles at a variable speed, substantially as set forth.

10. In a machine of the character described, a driving shaft, a rollcarrying a Web of paper, means for dividing the web, two superposed bedsover each of which one of the webs is adapted to pass, means forcontinuously drawing the web from said roll during its division andprior to its passing on to said beds, means for applying adhesive tosaid webs during their continuous move ment and at the place or placesthereon which form the closing flaps of the envelopes, means for dryingsaid adhesive during the said continuous movement, means for cuttingeach of the divided webs into two strips, means for forming longitudinalcreases therein, means for intermittently feeding said strips along thebeds, a series of intermittently 0perated devices for cutting andfolding parts of the webs to form back and closing flaps, intermittentlyoperated means for cutting and creasing parts of the webs to form theclosing and side flaps and for severing the envelope blanks from thewebs and cams on the driving shaft for effecting said intermittentoperations substantially as set forth.

ADRIAN HAAS.

